Machine for straightening metal rods



(No'Model.) K s sumen-smeg@v 1 J. AGNEW. l MACHINE POR STRAIGHTBNING METAL RODS. No. 297,550. PatentedvApr. 29, 1884.

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J. AGN EW.

MACHINE POR STRAIGHTBNING METAL RODS. No. 297,550. Patented Ap1n29, 1884.

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MACHINE P0P. STRAIGHTBNING METAL Bons.

Patented Apr. 29, 1.884.

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IINTTED STATES PATENT Ormea.

JOHN AGNEW, OF CUMMINGS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AGNEVV SHAFTING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

`MACHINE FOR STRAIGHTENING METAL RODS.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,550, dated April 29, 1884.

Application tiled June 18, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

nois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Straightening Metal Rods or Shafting; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof', reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

lIhis invention relates tov apparatus for straightening metal rods or shafting, and has for its object to provide means for feeding the shafting "regularly through the rotating straightener or flier, and for controlling its ends, so as to prevent their excessive vibration under the action of the flier, and also for holding the shafting from rotation while passing through the straightener-dier.

A It also has for its object to provide an improved construction in the iiier or rotating frame which carries the dies.

To these and other ends that will further appear, the invention lconsists in the several matters hereinafter set forth, and pointedout in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved apparatus complete. Fig. 2'is a side elevation of the matters shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe flier and feeding devices which co-operate therewith, on a larger scale than shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the matters shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail in vertical axial section of the iiier through :v x of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a vertical section through y y oi' Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows applied to said line. Fig.- 7 is an indirect transversevertical section through the iiier in the line a z of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows applied to said line. Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of the guideway, the carriage applied to said guideway, and the gripping device applied to the carriage for seizing and holding the advanced end of the shaft when being straightened, said way and carriage being shown in connection with the adjacent feedrolls of the machine. Fig. 9 is a vertical longitudinal section of Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is the headed end of a drawn shaft to be straightened.

A represents a continuous bed-plate, upo which are mounted the Hier B and two pairs of feed-rolls, C, located at opposite ends of and adjacent to the fiier.

D D are guideways arranged at opposite ends of the machine, and E E are carriages mounted in said guideways D, in such man` ner as to slide back and forth toward and from the flier or straightener proper, EZB? being gripping-jaws applied to said carriages and constructed to seize and hold the several ends of the shaft S while the latter is being straightened. The flier B is, in its general features of construction, not widely unlike others of the same class of rotating straightener-fram es 5 but it has certain specific features of improvement that will be pointed out. It consists of a centrally and longitudinally open frame offiron provided with hollow gudgeons b at its opposite ends, in line with the central open longitudinal space, b', between the arms of the frame, one of said gudgeons being, as here shown, prolonged to receive the driving-belt pulley B outside the adjacent bearing upright B2. The parallel arms b2 of the flier-frame are arranged with their broader faces in parallel4v planes, located on opposite sides of a plane passing through the axis of the flier, as more clearly seen in Figs. 2, 4, and 7, so that the dies B3, when placed on the inner 0r proximate of these parallel faces of said arms, will stand end to end opposite the-axis of the iiier, as seen more clearly in Fig. 7. Said dies B3 are secured to the flier-frame by capsv Bi, re-

cessed to embrace the dies at their sides and outer ends, andlheld to the arms b2 of the frame by means of binding -bolts b3, which pass through the caps B'L and through said arms b2 on opposite sides of the dies B3, as shown in Fig. 3. Preferably said dies and their holding-caps are made adjustable longitudinally on the arms b2 of the flier, and for this purpose said arms are provided with longitudinal slots b4, through which the bolts b pass. The dies B3 are adjustable toward and from the axis of the flier by means of screws B5, fitted in the outer walls of the cap-plates B, as in- IOC dicated in Fig. 7', so as to bear against the outer ends of the dies, and to thereby force them radially inward. In addition to the capplates B4, which rest upon the flier-frame arms b2, for holding the dies to the frame, bindingbolts 1f are employed,l being threaded through the cap-plates B", so as to bear on the faces of the dies opposite the flier-arms, as seen in Figs. 3 and 7. i By means of the devices shown for the longitudinal adjustment of the dies upon the flier-frame, a greater or less number of said dies may be used, or they may be set nearer each other or farther apart, as occasion may require. By means of theradial adjusting-screws said dies may also be adj usted variably as to the axis of the flier, as may be found necessary or desirable in operating upon shafting of different sizes, or of a kind or condition to require more or less force in straightening. Such radial adjustment of the dies is not new.

The dies B are generally arranged alternately to face in opposite directions, as shown in the plan View, and their inner or working ends are provided with grooves in the direction of the flier-axis formed to fit the cyliniric surface of the shaft more or less nearly, and said grooves are rounded outwardly or iway from the axis at their ends, as indicated by dotted lines of Fig. 3, so as to bear only in `iheir central portion upon the shaft, and to favor the passage of the end of the shaft from )ne die to the next, as the shaft passes lengthwise through the machine. In `addition to ;he doubly-rounded construction of the work- 11g-faces of the dies, as described, said dies 1re preferably bodily tapered, as seen in Fig. 3, to further provide for the properpassage )f either end of the shaft from one die to the iext.

B are suj'iplemcntal dies arranged in direct )pposition to the extreme end dies on the rame, for the purpose, in some eases, of as- ;isting in directing the ends-of the shaft to be ;traightened into or out ofthe flier. These .upplemental dies are slotted to receive the 'astening-bolts, so as to be radially adjustable, Ls shown.

BT is an axially-apertured wooden plug in- .erted in the outer end of the hollow7 gudgeon to serve as a guide and support for the shaft Ls it enters the flier, the axial aperture theren being of little larger diameter than the said haft. A similar plug may be employed in he opposite end of the flier,to steady the shaft s it emerges from the fiier. The flier is roated in the direction indicated by arrows in lig. 7, so that the arms b2 carry the dies beore them, and thereby receive the strain more ,irectly. i

At the opposite ends of the flier are staioned the two pairs of peripherally-groovcd eed-rolls C C, said pairs of rolls being aranged so that the shaft to be straightened and arried between them will be directed with .eedful accuracy in the axis of the flier. The

shafts c of the rolls of each pair are, as here shown, mounted horizontally in parallel uprights C, which are provided with slots c for the reception ofthe bearing-boxes C.

C C are blocks resting upon the lower shaft, c, and supporting the upper one. Said upper shaft is adjustable by means of such blocks and set-screws c, applied above the boxes C', and said boxes are made automatically yielding in an upward direction,to meet slight Variations in the thickness of the shafts to be straightened, and to properly bind upon the shaft S by means of rubber or other springs c, inserted between the boxes C and plates c,

upon which plates the set-screws c directly bear. In operat-ing upon shafts of materiallydifferent sizes, the rolls C can be changed for others of diameter and form of peripheral groove adapted to fit the particular size of shafting to be straightened, blocks C of different and suitable lengths being provided and inserted between the upper and lower shafts, as occasion may require. Both pairs of feedrollers C are simultaneously driven, at a uniform speed and in the same direction,by means of a worm-shaft, C, located, preferably, as shown, whose worms C1L engage with wormwheels C, fixed to both lowermost feed-roller shafts c. Said worm-shaft is here represented as being driven independently of the flier by means of a pulley, CT, affixed to said shaft; but, if desired, it may be geared in an obvious manner with the shaft of said ier.

D D are ways constructed and arranged to support the carriages E on the same horizontal plane with the flier-axis. Each of such ways, as here illustrated, consists of two wooden bars, d, arranged parallel with each other in the same horizontal plane, upon which rest the sides of the carriage, and similar bars, d', directly over the bars d, and separated therefrom by a space suitable for the passage of said carriage. A plate, E', is arranged to depend between the opposite bars d,to guide the carriage laterally 5 or other suitable devices may be provided for this purpose.

To the carriages E are secured clamping devices E, constructed to grasp and hold the ends of the shaft to be straightened. Said clamping devices, as here shown, consist of a lower fixed jaw, e, Fig. 9, and an upper movable jaw, c', pivoted to two upright lugs, e2, at e. The jaw e is rearwardly extended beyond the pivotal point, and is provided with a threaded aperture fitted to receive the vertical hand-screw E, the end of which bears against the lower extended jaw-plate or other stationary part of the carriage. By operating the screw thus or similarly applied, the jaws e e' are rmly closedupon the end of the shaft. At that end of the iiier at which the shaft emerges therefrom is located a stationary transverse supporting-roller, D, arranged in line with the lower adjacent feed-roller, C, and between said roller and the adjacent carriage E. Upon this roller D theAV emerging IOO Cfr

end of the shaft is rested before it reaches the adjacent grip-carriage E, and as said carriage advances, after being made to seize the shaft, the roller continues to support the shaft between said carriage and the feed-rollers, and thereby contributes to prevent the shaft from being bent by sagging or by vibration caused by the action of the hier.

In the operation of the machine, the carriage at the inwardly-feeding end of the machine having been retreated, the shaft has one of its ends inserted between the gripping-jaws Ez of said carriage, and the opposite end is thrust between the adjacent feed-rollers. By the action of the said rolls the shaft is forced into and through the rotating flier, the carriage being at the same time drawn forward toward the flier by the hold of its gripping-jaws E2 upon the shaft. Vhen the advanced end of the shaft emerges from the opposite end of the flier, it enters between the second pair of feedrollers, C, and is then subject to the feeding action of both sets of such rollers until its rear end is drawn clear of the pair with which the shaft was iirst engaged. By this means the shaft receives a constant forward movement through the flier, and by the gripping action of said rollers the shaft is held from rotation as it advances. As the rear carriage approaches the adjacent feed-rollers,it is released from the shaft and pushed back, by hand or otherwise, into position to receive another shaft. XVhen the rear end of the shaft is thus released, it projects so short a distance as to be sufficiently held from harmful vibration by the adjacent feedrolls. The opposite carriage continues to be pushed forward by the emerging end of the shaft until the rear end of the latter escapes the adjacent feed-rolls, when it comes to rest, and the shaft lies supported by said carriage and the roller D', together with any intermediate supports that may be provided. 'Ihe office of said grip-carriages is, as above stated, to prevent vibration of the ends of the flier. They serve also, however, to assist the feed-rollers in holding the shaft from rotation while subject to the action of the dies of the flier, provided the gripping-jaws are closed firmly thereon. In order that the rear carriage may be drawn forward by the shaft, it is necessary that the shaft be firmly gripped by said jaws. rlhe opposite carriage will be pushed forward without being thus firmly held, particularly if the shaftisheaded, as seen in Fig. l0, though it is better in any case to close the jaws upon said end of the shaft.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the flier-arms b2, arranged in parallel planes on opposite sides of a plane through the axis, dies B3, arranged opposite the axis, and suitable holding devices for securing the dies to the arms b2, substantially as described.

2. In combination with the arms b2 of the nier, arranged in different planes, as illustrated, dies applied to adjacent parallel faces of said arms, and caps B* and bolts b3, for securing the said caps to the arms b2, substantially as described.

'3. In combination with the flier-arms and dies secured thereto, means for securing said dies adjustably lengthwise ofthe arms, substantially as described. Y

et. The combination, with thev flier-arms b2, provided with longitudinal slots, of dies B3 and bolts b3, arranged in the slots b4, for adjustably clamping the dies in place on the arms, substantially as described.

5.- In combination with the arms b2 of the flier, arranged in parallel planes on opposite sides of the axis, recessed cap-plates B4, bolts for securing said cap-platesto the arms and radial adj listing-screws B5, substantially as described.

6. In combination with the arms b2 of the iiier, and the dies arranged on proximate faces of said arms, as shown, the recessed cap-plates Bf, resting on the arms b2 at the sides and ends of the dies, clamping-bolts b3 for holding said cap-plates to the arms, radial adj Listing-screws B5, and clamping-bolts b5, substantially as described.

7. In combination with the alternating dies B3, the supplemental dies or plates B6, radially adjustable on the frame, and arranged in opposition to the extreme dies B3, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

S. The combination, with a ilier carrying the straightening-dies, of two feeding devices, arranged one at one end and' the other at the other end ofthe flier, and constructed,respect tively, to push and draw the rod or shaft through theflier, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the fiier carrying straightening-dies, of two pairs of feed-rollers, C C,one pair placed at each end of the flier, and axially in line therewith, and actuating mechanism constructed to rotate said feed-rolls simultaneously in the same direction and at equal speeds, substantially as described.

10. In combination with the flier carrying straightening-dies, the two pairs of feed-roll e'rs C O, arranged at opposite ends of theflier, as shown, the shaft c of said feed-rolls provided with intermeshing gear-wheels o', the worm-wheels C, arranged on one shaft of each pair of feed-rolls, and a continuous wormshaft, C5, engaged with said worm-wheels, substantially as described.

ll. In combination with the uprights Cipro- IOO IIO

vided with the vertical slot c2, the feed-roller straightening machine, and feeding devices for carrying the rod or shaft through the ilier, of Ways arranged at opposite ends of the inachine, carriages running in said Ways, and devices for holding the ends of the shaft applied to the carriages, substantially as described.

14. The combination, with the iiier carrying the straighteningdies, feed-rolls at opposide ends of the Hier for advancing the rod or shaft being *straightened Ways D, carriages mounted in said Ways, and devices upon said carriages for holding the ends of the shaft, of a stationary roller, D', near the feed-rolls at the end of the flier at which the shaft emerges,

f JOHN AGNEV.

Vitnesses M. E. DAYTON,

PETER J. ELLER'P. 

